Six Industries Apple's Tablet Could Shake Up

Apple's tablet announcement is next week. And like the iPhone before it, the product may well have a power that ripples far beyond its on-sale date. Here are six industries that the Apple tablet could shake up.

Comic Books

Spider-man has largely resisted modernization—phone screens are simply too small to enjoy the intricate panels without constant panning and zooming, and an e-reader's lack of color is a deal-breaker. That's why a tablet computer seems like the perfect vehicle for digital comics, and we wouldn't be surprised if a dedicated comics channel finds its way into the iTunes store.

The tablet could also turn into a killer app for Web comics, such as the popular xkcd, which could be delivered through dedicated apps.

Magazine Publishing

Being a magazine editor, this one hits close to home. Overall, I'm incredibly optimistic (and a wee bit excited) at the prospect of tablet-driven digital magazines. Multiple mags (including PM) have made public demonstrations about what a future digital magazine could look like. For me, the giddiness comes from the prospect of beautifully designed pages that eschew the chaos of Web sites for the curated order of a print mag. And while the ability to build ads into the design in a print-like way will undoubtedly appeal to publishers, I also come from the camp that believes that magazine ads are often appreciated by readers—particularly when it comes to things like fashion rags.

Newspaper Publishing

Perhaps no area of print has been hit as hard in recent years as the newspaper industry. Tablet-delivered papers could represent real revenue—both from subscriptions and advertising. The real challenge will be convincing readers to pay for subscriptions to content that they can get free on the Web.

Mobile Gaming

The iPhone App Store ushered in a sort of golden age for independent developers looking to make a quick buck off cheaply made casual games. The tablet could be the beginning of phase two, with a larger screen and a more powerful processor accommodating more complex (and more expensive) games than are suitable for the iPhone.

Netbooks

When it comes to carry-anywhere computing on a scale between a full laptop and a smartphone, netbooks currently have the market covered. And while it's doubtful that tablets will completely kill off netbooks (hey—people need keyboards!), they'll certainly eat into the market. We expect tablets to have a greater effect on consumers who use netbooks primarily for home-based couch-surfing, as opposed to those who use them as travel computers.

PC Parts

When millions of tablets begin rolling off assembly lines, they will have a pronounced and immediate effect on the market for PC components. The two most likely effects: short-term shortages of components such as flash memory and large-format capacitive screens (rumor has it that the tablet has already caused such a shortage), followed by a ramping up of production that will surely bring prices on these parts down for all manufacturers—meaning any device that shares parts with the tablet could eventually see a price drop.

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